Fighting the underground trade in ivory, one collector at a time

“Li Dongbao (a pseudonym), 33, has been collecting ivory decorations and accessories for six years.

But last August things changed, after he saw subway posters depicting an elephant and its baby, which revealed how the ivory trade would tear them apart. He found himself feeling guilty and couldn't stop thinking about the graphic images and messages.

While considering giving up his hobby, he blew the whistle on the rampant illegal online trade of ivory and other wildlife products.

The Public Service Announcement which caused this ivory collector to feel remorseful was produced by the International Fund for Animal Welfare-IFAW.

The PSA, “Mom I Got Teeth,” was created when an IFAW poll shows that nearly 70% of the Chinese do not know ivory (elephant teeth in Chinese) comes from dead elephants.

The PSA draws on people’s emotions by illustrating that elephant babies having teeth would bring bloodshed and slaughter of their families.

The poignant image of an elephant mother and calf walking into the sunset on the African savannah while contemplating the fate of the family simply because the calf has its teeth has moved many people to reject ivory trade. It caused an ivory carver to put down his knife; a young mother to feel shame for her ivory bracelet; and now a collector to give up his hobby.